The measurement challenge behind the shift to GaN in high-frequency semiconductors
Mention high-frequency semiconductors, and the conversation often begins with gallium arsenide (GaAs). For decades, GaAs has been the material of choice for high-performance radio frequency (RF) devices that enable a wide range of applications, including satellite communications, radar, and mobile networks.
It is a mature, well-understood technology, and large, high-quality wafers can be grown economically, enabling consistent device performance and scalable manufacturing.
Principal Scientist at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).
Yet a transition is underway. Increasingly, the industry is turning away from GaAs and towards gallium nitride (GaN), a material that offers clear performance advantages, particularly at higher frequencies, higher power levels, and more demanding operating conditions.
The promise of GaN is well established. The challenge lies in making it reliable, scalable, and commercially competitive.
And, as with many emerging semiconductor technologies, meeting that challenge is as much about measurement as it is about materials.
A material with advantages,...
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